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RECEIVE: <br />Borch Environmental Pollution Consulting_(BEPC) August 1 2012 <br />ALFALFA SUMMARX <br />Alfalfa is a long - lived, very deeply rooted perennial. Upon germination, a strong taproot <br />develops rapidly and penetrates almost vertically downward. It often reaches a depth of 5 to 6 <br />feet the rust season, 10 to 12 feet by the end of the second year, and may ultimately extend to <br />depths of 20 feet or more. It is notably a deep feeder. In common alfalfa, practically no branches <br />occur in the surface few inches of soil, and those that originate deeper do not spread widely but <br />turn downward after running a little distance obliquely and usually pursue a course more or less <br />parallel with the taproot. Often, both large and small branches are quite scarce, and the taproot is <br />always the most prominent part of the root system. Under favorable soil conditions, nodules <br />occur at all depths. The root habit shows considerable variation among the different varieties, <br />and that of a given variety varies markedly under different environmental conditions, When <br />depth of penetration is limited, the degree of branching and wide lateral spreading of branches <br />may become very pronounced. The crop makes its best growth in deep, moist soils where the full <br />extent of its deeply penetrating root system may be utilized. A close relation exists between <br />development of tops and growth, of roots, too frequent and, especially, too early cutting retarding <br />root growth. <br />Reference: <br />CHAPTER XXII in ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF FIELD CROPS BY JOHN E. WEAVER <br />Professor of Plant Ecology, University ofNebraska <br />FIRST EDITION <br />McGRAW -HILL BOOK COMPANY, INC. <br />NEW YORK: 370 SEVENTH AVENUE <br />LONDON: 6 & 8 BOUVERIE ST., E. C. 4 <br />1926 <br />COPYRIGHT, 1926, BY THE <br />McGRAW -HILL BOOK COMPANY, INC. <br />Because alfalfa production has historically occurred on the Morgan property, it is imperative that <br />reclamation practices be geared to restoring this crop productivity. <br />It is my considered opinion, based on the data and information I have seen to date, that <br />the reclamation practices proposed and ongoing on the Morgan property will not restore the soil <br />conditions to the state that existed pre - mining. The substitute soil material proposed for the <br />Morgan property has properties which are significantly less favorable to crop- production, in <br />terms of salt content, pH, rock content, organic matter, and total depth, as compared to the <br />properties of the native soil. It can be expected with a reasonable level of certainty that these <br />soils, without further intervention, will not replicate the level of crop production which existed <br />on the Morgan property pre- mining. <br />Page 11 of 13 <br />NO.0743 08/10 /2012/FRI 12:11AM <br />